Means for closing refrigerators



A. N. HORNUNG.

MEANS FOR CLOSING REFRIGERATORS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 20 I915.

Patented Aug. 1, 1916.

In vendor Anion Jfffor'n lllz 'fraess 3% f %/2/ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANTON N. HORNUNG, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

MEANS FOR CLOSING REFRIGERATORS.

Application filed October 20, 1915.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, ANTON N. HORNUNG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Means for Closing Refrigerators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates more particularly to air tight closures such as required by refrigerators and the like and an object of the invention is to provide a superior device for closing the door openings of large refrigerators in which the doors are heavy and the area of engagement between the closure body and the margin of the opening to be closed is of considerable extent.

An object of the invention is to provide simple and strong means whereby the person desiring to open the closure may do so by simply grasping and lifting the handle and giving it a turn, which will first loosen and then release the latch.

An object is to so construct the fastener that it will apply resilient pressure to hold the closure shut and yet can be loosened by any easy manipulation of the handle, so that the latch thereof can be readily turned by such handle.

The invention includes in combination a door pull and a resilient latch for refrigerator doors and the like and comprises means for engaging the latch and pressing the door tight, preferably against a felt or otherwise cushioned stop, and the same is constructed for releasing and disengaging the latch; both operations being effected by turning a one-piece handle, which is operated to close the latched door air-tight by pressing the handle downward, and is operated to first relieve the pressure and then to unlateh and open the door by raising the handle and by returning it; and said handle being fastened to the door is operable by one hand for unlatching the door and pulling it open.

Other objects are simplicity, cheapness,

strength and easy assembling and application to the refrigerator.

Other objects and advantages may appear from the subjoined detail description.

The invention may be variously constructed and I do not limit the same to the specific form shown.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 1, 1916.

Serial No. 57,013.

invention in a form at present deemed most desirable.

Figure 1 is a plan view, mainly in section on line 00 Figs. 2 and 3, illustrating the invention as applied in a refrigerator, fragments of which are shown. The latch is shown in latched position. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the device viewed from irregular line 03 Fig. 1 with the latch closed. Fig. 3 is a view of the inner side of the closure, the handle on the outside being indicated in dotted lines. Fig. 4 is a fragmental view of the outside of the closure shown in the other views. The slot in the closure body is shown in dotted lines. Fig. 5 is a fragmcntal sectional detail from line 0:", Figs. 1 and 3. Fig. 6 is a fragmental sectional detail of the latch unlatched.

The strike 1 is a metal plate fixed by screws 2 to the j amb 3 opposite the side from which the swinging door or closure body 4 closes, and said strike is tapered, being provided with a. swell 5 to receive the tongue 6 of the rotatable reciprocal latch 7 that is provided with a journal formed by a stepped hub 8 rotating and reciprocating in a journal bearing 9 formed by a plate fixed to the door 4 and constituting a part of the mounting for the latch. Said latch is also provided with a stay 10 formed as an arm projecting from the latch on the side opposite the tongue; and a support 11 for said stay is constructed of a single piece with the journal bearing 9; said support being a part of said plate which also forms a seat for the hub. Said support and journal bearing as shown is made as a metal plate having a hole therethrough to form the bearing, and being fixed by screws 12 to the inner side of the door. Said latch is rotated and reciprocated by means extending through the door and operated by a handle outside the door. Such means comprise a stem 13 journaled in the door and extending therethrough and through the bore of the latch and its hol low hub. Said bore is stepped, there being a section 14 thereof fitting the stem 13, an enlarged intermediate section 16 and a fur ther enlarged section 17. The outer portion of the hub 8 is slotted adjacent the smaller bore 14 to accommodate a pin 18 inserted through the stem 13 and adapted to rotate the latch as the stem 13 is turned on its axis. A spring 19 seated on the shoulder 20 formed at the end of the small bore 14 acts upon a washer 21 that is held in place on the stem 13 by a nut 22 on the inner screw-threaded end 23 of the stem. A slot 24 in the outer facing 25 of the door allows the pin 18 to pass through said facing to reach the latch. Said slot is shown arranged vertically and is covered by an escutcheon plate 26 that is fastened to the facing 25. Said escutcheon plate 26 has a central hole 27 fitting the stem 13, and said stem has at its outer end a head 28 fitting between the arms 29 of a handle 30. A pin 31 through said arms and head pivots the handle 30 to the outer end of the stem, the arms of said handle 30 having and terminating in a cam 32 at the inner side of the main body of the handle 30, so that when said main body 30 is dropped as shown in Fig. 2 the cam acts upon the plate 26 to draw the stem 13 and the washer 21 outward, thus cOmpIeSsing the spring 19 and forcing the latch outward against the strike. When the handle is brought into horizontal position, its body being in alinement with the stem 13, the spring is relieved. Said spring is preferably of a definite length, so that when relieved the tongue 6 is pressed with a comparatively light pressure, upon the swell 5 of the strike, and consequently, the latch is easily rotated from engagement with the swell of the strike. The spring 19 is also of sufficient strength to hold the closure tightly closed when the spring is compressed by the cam. The tension of the spring may be increased by screwing the nut 22 down upon it. The felt or other cushioning packing 33 between the closure body and stops formed by the jamb 3 is compressed around the rim of the orifice which the closure body closes and the orifice to which the closure body is fitted is therefore sealed air tight. Preferably the spring 19 yieldingly holds the latch firmly against the bearing 9 when the latch is released as shown in Fig. 6 so that there is no objectionable looseness or rattling of parts when the latch is disengaged. The tips 34 of the spring are reduced or thinned and take up the reciprocal play without great pressure on the latch; and the main body of the spring is sufliciently strong and stubborn to give the requisite pressure when the cam of the handle is in action.

The cam 32 has fiat faces 35, 36 to rest on the escutcheon plate 26 to hold the spring compressed. The flat face 35 is parallel, and the flat face 36 is at right angles, to the axis of the handle so as to form effective rests for the handle in its lowered and raised positions. The longitudinal axes of said handle and cam are at an angle of about 90 to each other and the longitudinal axis of said cam intersects the fiat face 35 intermediate the ends of such face so that bulges 37 38 are formed at the ends of the flat face 35 to engage the escutcheon plate to move the stem 13 outward in opposition to the spring 19 as the handle is moved to or from the tightened position shown in Fig. 2. The action of the spring thus tends to hold the handle in latching position when the door is latched, and to maintain the handle ex tended when it has been left so.

It is thus seen that I have provided a closure body with a rotatable reciprocal latch on one side of said body to engage the strike, operating means as the handle' 30 having cam 32 on the other side of the body, and operable means as the stem 13, washer 21 and spring 19 connecting said operating means to the latch to rotate and reciprocate the same to cause the latch to act on the strike and to draw the closure body against the jalnb, and that said spring not only serves to resiliently and firmly hold the latch in engagement with the strike to maintain the closure body in closing position when the latch is latched, but it also serves to hold the parts in other adjusted positions determined by the positions of the cam and its rests relative to the escutcheon plate 26 of the mounting. There must be pressure enough exerted by the spring to keep the hub rigid against the inner plate when the latch is released from the strike, and likewise to keep the handle rigidly in the position shown in Fig. 1. If the tension of the spring were entirelyremoved when the cam on the handle is released, then upon turning the latch from the strike, the whole fastener would be loose and shaky. Were it not for this the spring could be omitted entirely.

The bearing plate serves as a guiding plate having the bearing 9 and hub seat 39 for the latch hub when the latch is disengaged. The hub is stepped to form an annular shoulder 40 to rest on said hub seat. Stops 41, 42 at the ends of the seat track 11 on the bearing plate limit the throw of the latch. The stop 42 is in position to intercept the rest 10 when the tongue 6 is on the swell 5 of the strike so that the latch comes to rest at the point of greatest pressure caused by the swell. Then by turning the handle down as shown in Fig. 2 the forcible closing pressure is exerted to force the door shut.

The bulges 37, 38 or either may be less pronounced than shown so that the handle may be moved to and from the position with less expenditure of force than is necessary in the form shown. It will be observed that the Weight of the handle may have considerable effect to maintain the door well closed.

I claim 1. The combination with a jamb, of a strike on one side of the jamb; a closure body to engage the other side of the jamb; a rotatable reciprocal latch on one side of the closure body to engage the strike; operating means on the other side of the closure body,

means connected to the operating means and to the latch to rotate and reciprocate the same to cause the latch to act on the strike and to draw the closure body against the jamb; a spring to yieldingly force the latch against the strike.

2. The combination with a jamb, of a strike on one side of the jamb; a closure body to engage the other side of the jamb; a rotatable reciprocal latch on one side of the closure body to engage the strike; operating means on the other side of the closure body, means connected to the operating means and to the latch to rotate and reciprocate the latch to cause the latch to act on the strike and to draw the closure body against the jamb; a spring to yieldingly force the latch against the strike; and means to adjust the tension of the spring.

3. A jamb; a closure body to engage one side of the jamb; a journal bearing on the closure body; a latch having a hollow journal reciprocally and rotatively mounted in the bearing; a stem extending through the closure body and the latch means carried by the stem to rotate the latch; resilient means operated by the stem to move the latch toward the closure body; a strike on the jamb to receive the latch, and means for reciprocating and rotating the stem.

4. The combination with a latch and a mounting therefor, of a stem connected to reciprocate and rotate the latch, a cam to engage the mounting and reciprocate the stem, and means to operate the cam to actuate the stem, said cam having a flat face to engage the mounting and a bulge at the end of said flat face to hold the parts in adjusted position.

The combination with a closure; of a plate having a journal bearing and fastened to one side of the body; a latch hating a hub journaled in said journal bearing and provided with a slot; and a spring seat and stem extending through the closure body and the latch and reciprocating in said latch and provided with a pin engaging said slot; a spring seated on said seat; means on the inner end of the stem to act upon the spring and a handle pivoted to the stem outside the closure; and a cam operated by the handle to actuate the stem.

6. The combination with a closure body; of a plate thereon having a journal bearing; a latch having a hub mounted in said bearing and provided with bores of various diameters and with a slot and a stem fitting one and extending through the others of said bores; a spring within said other bores; a nut on said stem to hold the spring in position; a pin in said stem and working in said slot and adapted to rotate the latch; a cam connected to and adapted to reciprocate the stem; and a handle to operate said cam and move the closure body.

7. The combination door pull and resilient latch set forth comprising a strike on a wall and an escutcheon plate on a door that closes an opening in the wall, a handle, and a cam having flat faces and attached to the handle and bearing on the escutcheon plate, a stem pivoted to the cam and extending through the escutcheon plate, a latch having a socket, means for engaging the stem with the latch, a spring setting in the socket of the latch and encircling the stem; a washer and a threaded nut at one end of the stem to hold the spring and regulate the spring pressure between the cam bearing on the escutcheon plate on the outside of door and the latch bearing on the strike of the wall when engaged or against the hub seat when disengaged, the same pressure bearing on the flattened portion of handle causing the handle to remain rigid in the raised or lowered position.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this lith day of October, 1915.

ANTON N. IIORNUNG.

\Vitness:

JAMES R. TOWNSEND.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

